Square Area Rugs Facts & Buying Guide

When a rectangular rug just won’t do, it’s hip to be square. These rugs are the perfect complement to square rooms and spaces with boxy architectural features — get all the need-to-know details on square rugs ahead.

All About Square Rugs

A good design rule of thumb to remember when it comes to choosing the best rug shape for your space is that the shape of the rug should follow the shape of the room. When a rug is the right size and shape for your room, the entire space will instantly feel more put-together.

Since the majority of rooms are rectangular in shape, it makes sense that most rugs being produced are also rectangular. But what about square rooms? If you have a room in your home with roughly equal-length walls, consider a square rug your new best (decorating) friend. Roll out a square rug in a square room, and suddenly the space will come into focus.

When to consider a square rug:

Pair with a square dining table.

Add coziness to a square living room.

Protect the floor in a square mudroom or foyer.

Define a corner conversation zone within a larger space.

Can’t decide between a round or square rug? These two rug shapes can both work in some cases, but there are times one is clearly the better choice. For example:

To create conversation groupings in a long room, using multiple square rugs would be a better choice than round.

Round rugs tend to be better in small spaces.

Typically, a square table looks best with a square rug, and a round table looks best with a round rug.

Have an oval table? Opt for an oval or rectangular rug instead of round to better complement the shape.

Another way to narrow down your rug choice is by considering the patterns you are drawn to. Geometric prints, stripes, tile prints and boxy patterns tend to work best with a square rug. Curving and naturalistic designs — think of botanical prints, florals, and medallions — often look better on round rugs. And of course, solid colors work well with any rug shape.

Common materials and construction methods of square rugs:

Wool: Wool is a high quality rug material that makes for a soft and natural feel underfoot. Wool has natural soil and stain resistance.

Synthetic: Examples of synthetic materials used in rugs are nylon, polyester, polypropylene and viscose. Also called olefin, polypropylene is a synthetic fiber that is strong, colorfast, and comfortable.

Indoor-Outdoor: Made from synthetic materials designed to withstand sun, sand, and weather, indoor-outdoor rugs are a low-maintenance choice.

Flat woven: Flat woven rugs are tightly woven along a foundation structure of warp yarns, creating a yarn that is flat and without knots. Most flat-woven rugs reversible.

Low pile: The length of pile produced once a rug has been woven is determined by how long the yarns are cut. Square rugs with a low pile have yarns that have been cut short for a dense, springy feel.

Braided: Braided rugs were common in early Colonial American homes. Because of their unique braided construction, most braided area rugs are reversible.

Design variations to know:

Bordered: With a border defining the edges, this style of square rug looks crisp.

Geometric: Geometric motifs like greek key pattern, squares and diamonds look equally at home in modern and traditional spaces.

Moroccan: Intricate Moroccan-inspired patterns are trending — but this is a trend with staying power!

Shades of Blue: You know how blue jeans go with everything? It’s the same with blue rugs!

Decorating With Square Rugs

Square rugs are the best way to enhance a square room, hands down. But square rugs used to be extremely hard to find — especially if you were hoping to find any real variety in color and design. Thankfully, today square rugs are available in a wide range of colors, pile heights, materials and designs, so you can find just the right square rug for your space with ease, no matter your style.

Where to use square rugs:

In a square shaped breakfast nook.

Under a square dining table.

Paired with a sofa and armchair in a square living room.

In a square nursery or kids room.

A quick room-by-room guide to picking the right material for your square rug:

Mudroom: Indoor/outdoor or synthetic.

Living room: Wool, jute or synthetic.

Kitchen: Braided or indoor/outdoor.

Home office: Wool, just or synthetic.

Nursery: Wool or synthetic for softness; indoor/outdoor if you want something virtually indestructible!

Furniture placement tips with square rugs:

If using under a dining table, the entire table and chairs should comfortably fit on the rug. Be sure to include enough space to easily pull chairs out without bumping over the edge of the rug.

With a sofa and armchairs, place the rug under at least the front feet of all furniture.

In the nursery, place a square rug in the center of the room with no furniture on top. Alternatively, choose a square rug large enough for all of the furniture to fit on top.

Find Your Perfect Square Rug

Use these shortcuts to narrow down your search results and find the perfect square rug for you.